Is There Anything Better Than Fresh Air in the Winter?

Because is there? Really? We used to go to New York every Christmas when I was growing up to stay with my mom’s family for a week, and one of my favorite things to do as soon as we got there (after a 16 hour car ride) was to take in a delicious, deep gulp of the freezing winter air. I remember instantly feeling better, more relaxed, and more refreshed, just feeling the cool breeze on my face.

It’s one of the reasons I love this season so much, maybe even more than any of the other ones (except maybe fall). It surprises me every year when it gets as cold as it was yesterday here in Tennessee but I am always so grateful. Bundling up in warm layers that we only get to wear maybe 3 months out of the year while the freezing air is trying its best to get in is my idea of happiness.

We went out to the land last night and walked the majority of it as the sun was setting. The sky looks so different in the winter, especially at sunset. There is a vast emptiness to it that is equal parts haunting and beautiful to me.

I don’t think this view will ever get old. It’s at the top of the biggest hill on our land and overlooks the valley below. There’s a big rock pile up here that the kids love to slide down, which allows us a few minutes to take in the view. We’ve been talking lately about how perfectly content and happy we could be being out at the land full-time. What would that look like, though? Would we fix up and move into Holiday House? Would we renovate the metal building? For now, just being out here in any capacity is enough for us.

Here’s to many more layers and cold winter nights.

Finding Joy in the Every Day

Sometimes it seems like we’ve all had to become experts at finding the silver lining, the beauty, in the every day moments over the last year. Covid cases (and deaths) are rising at an unimaginable, heartbreaking rate, and I wake up almost every morning to a new alert about how much worse this pandemic has gotten, and potentially will get. And while that kind of news has become the “new normal”, is there anything really that normal about so many people getting sick? Even after a year?

All of that to say, I am holding on to the things that bring me joy in daily, seemingly ordinary moments of our life more than ever. Like last night, we went for a walk before dinner and the sun had just started to set and it was so cold outside, but the kids didn’t seem to mind- they were just happy to be out of the house and riding their scooters. And it felt unbelievably wonderful to get out of the house and outside of our minds for a minute and just breathe, and just be (which is one of our new words for 2021!).

It was a short walk, but it was everything I think we all needed it to be. Sis had her new buggy that she was using as a stroller for her baby doll that PJ wrapped up in a scarf to keep it warm for her (so cute), and the boys were zipping past us on their scooters with light up wheels that PJ’s mom got them for Christmas. And it was nice, and it was comforting, and it felt good.

We found ways to carve out our own happiness and take some time for ourselves last year during the madness and taking walks was one of those ways. We have really slowed down on doing them every day ever since the weather started changing, but it’s nothing a big coat and some warm boots can’t fix. I think we easily forget how important these walks are for our mental health, otherwise there’s no way we would ever slack on them. They almost instantly make me feel calmer, more relaxed. Do you know what I mean?

Some of our neighbors still have their Christmas lights up and it made for some nice ambiance on the way home last night. Sis shrieked with surprise when we walked past some wrapped around trees, as if this was her first time seeing them and they haven’t been up for the last 3 months.

Someone on Instagram responded to a story I did of sis walking with her stroller saying “she’s on a mission!”, and it made me laugh because she truly always is, and she makes us laugh all the time with her wit and determination. How did we get so lucky?

Here's to finding the joy in the every day! xo

A Rainy Monday at Home

Happy Monday, friend.

It feels weird to even add the clarification “at home” in the title of this post, since we’ve literally been home for almost a year now (also feels weird to say that) but nonetheless, it was rainy, today is Monday, and we did spend it at home.

I was actually quite surprised to wake up to rain this morning since we had the most beautiful sunny day yesterday, but (and if you’ve been reading for a while now, you already know this) I am a sucker for a cozy rainy day spent inside cleaning, cooking, playing, and working around the house. My brother always makes a point to bring up how annoyed he gets when people are surprised by the weather when we have a 24/7 weather app directly on our phones to check at our leisure, but I am telling myself (and you) that I like surprises because they keep me on my toes and that’s my excuse. If you’re reading this, Tay, I’m sorry.

PJ has been on a kick lately organizing our entire house, much to my gratitude. We have so. much. clutter. that has been building up in our home for years. He has thrown away huge garbage bags worth of junk and gotten rid of so many random boxes around the house and it feels like a giant weight is slowly being lifted with every piece of discarded trash. Thank you, PJ, for simplifying our life and making our home so much cleaner!

Normally the kids are restless on rainy days, but today they kept themselves busy in between educational videos on YouTube and me teaching older brother school. Our days lately consist of an unbalanced mixture of school and work and house cleaning and it’s been such a season of adjustment for us as parents and as a couple. Who ever would have thought we’d all be teachers in one way or another this time last year? On that note, teaching kindergarten is no joke and not for the faint of heart. Take it from me.

PS: Sex and the City is coming back!

Sometimes It’s Okay to Stay Up Late on a Saturday Night

And jump and climb on the bed while we fold clothes and put together our new workout machine. It’s late. We’re all tired. But it’s the weekend, and these days, Saturday nights mean something different with 3 kids running around the house :).

Hope you have a lovely Saturday night, too, friend.

xo

Little Sis Turns 3 Today!

Happy birthday to the one who brings us so much joy. What would we do without her and her sassy, funny, smart, and sweet looks she gives every day? When she came to live with us she was only 1 1/2 years old, and it’s mind boggling to think she is now 3 and talking more and more every day. She is becoming so independent and loves to do things on her own (as much as she can, anyway). She loves to play with water and pour it into cups and bowls and pretend to cook food for us (the way she goes about it is hilarious).

We feel so grateful to take care of her and have her in our life. She is pure love. She is everything and more.

One of Those Days

Dear friend,

Yesterday was one of those hard, frustrating foster parent days you hear about all the time and pray doesn’t happen to you. As much good as the foster system does, it’s an incredibly challenging thing to navigate, especially when you truly care about the kiddos (the heartbreaking truth is there are waaaay too many bad foster parents out there who are in it for the wrong reasons).

We had been looking forward to a very specific court date for months, and it was supposed to be tomorrow, but got postponed indefinitely because of a new Supreme Court order banning all in-person court cases from happening unless they’re an emergency or meet certain guidelines, an unfortunately our case doesn’t meet them.

PJ was on the phone all morning trying to sort it out. One of the most frustrating parts is just how many people you have to go through to get something, anything, accomplished. So very many people are involved who make important decisions, people with a lot more power than you feel that you have, which oftentimes can leave you feeling helpless and on your own.

But on the bright side, I am grateful to have a husband who doesn’t ever give up no matter what and who fights for what is right. I am grateful that we have these kids who have changed our lives, for the better, in every way imaginable. And I am grateful to have a sister who orders Crumbl Cookies to be delivered to our house in an attempt to cheer us up. And you know what? It actually brightened my day to see that bright pink box and that sweet little note on our doorstep. Thank you, Sydney. I love you.

I really don’t like to post negative things on here, but I feel it’s important to note that, if you’re thinking of becoming a foster parent (which has been the most rewarding experience of our lives and I encourage you to consider becoming one!!), please be prepared for hard days, a rollercoaster of emotions, and intense feelings of frustration.

Though, when I pause to think about it, I think that’s just called being a parent?

We Painted the Living Room! (Finally)

After almost four years of trying to talk PJ into agreeing that the living room (and the rest of our house, but that’s a different story) should be white, he finally agreed to us painting it the other night, and he even helped me trim.

For reference, I’m usually the one who paints while PJ demos and builds. It just works for us. But the night we started painting, I rolled the walls while he cut around the trim and it went soooo much faster. And tonight I officially finished painting the rest of the walls and edges and it’s complete! It feels so much lighter and brighter in here and we love it. We’re far from finished, needing art and curtains for layering and finishing touches, and we plan to remove the chandelier (from when it was our dining room) but it feels like a fresh start for the new year.

I say “finally” painting the living room, but to be honest, we loved the warm, earthy color it was before. We get questions on what color it is all the time, and it’s called Urban Putty by Sherwin Williams. It’s the absolute most perfect neutral color of all time and we still swear by it. But, four years into living in this house, our style has slightly changed, and we’re looking to switch things up a bit in each room. We’re also finally taking the time to decorate certain rooms we didn’t make time for before because we have been working on some kind of project nonstop for the last whoknowshowmanyyears. We’re still working on about two right now, but we’re just going for it and making time now. Maybe it’s the optimism and inspiration that comes with a new year?

We can’t wait to share the after photos and settle into this space again. We both have a vision in our head of how we want the room to end up looking and we’re so excited to make it come to life.

New Year’s Eve

Goodbye 2020!

After simultaneously being the longest and shortest year ever, we’re kissing 2020 goodbye tonight. This year has been so many things for so many people (understatement of the century). It’s honestly hard to put into words what we all experienced this year, so I won’t even try. We went through it together, and we’re here today, waking up tomorrow with bright eyes and optimism (hopefully).

We’re spending tonight at home, just the five of us. The kiddos are in bed and we’re on the couch watching an end of the year comedy special on Netflix (which is HILARIOUS). I made a garlicky red sauce and am sipping a glass of wine. Maybe we’ll bust out the champagne we’ve been holding onto for months? TBD.

We’re signing off of this wild, insane, enlightening, hard, challenging, life-changing year with a kiss, and hoping 2021 brings all that we need, some of what we don’t need, and much more kindness and understanding. Thank you, as always, for being here with us, friend. Sending love and virtual hugs to you.

xoxoxo,
The McKays